Energy

Image: GRID Alternatives

Supplying reliable and sustainable energy to the state’s economy requires planning and policies underpinned by a commitment to utilization of the best available science. To this end, California’s energy infrastructure must be designed to cope with the state’s highly variable conditions and frequent disruptions from wildfires, storms, and floods, which will be exacerbated by more frequent and intense natural disasters brought by a changing climate. The impacts of climate change have potential to be drastic for the energy sector. For instance, changes in temperatures, precipitation patterns, extreme events, and sea-level rise have the potential to decrease the efficiency of thermal power plants and substations, decrease the capacity of transmission lines, render hydropower less reliable, spur an increase in electricity demand, and put energy infrastructure at risk of flooding.[1]

To address resilience of the energy sector, local jurisdictions must work with utilities and regulators. At the state level, the California Energy Commission (CEC) and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) are working to address the effects of climate disruption on the energy sector. Priorities for the energy sector include actionable research, working with vulnerable communities, and continuing to invest in renewable energy, renewable distributed generation, energy efficiency, and building retrofits. All of these efforts can bolster and incorporate climate adaptation, limiting climate impacts while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A priority should be on improving energy sector resilience for vulnerable communities, as these communities will suffer disproportionately from the impacts of climate change.[2] Another important piece is for investor-owned utilities and other energy infrastructure owners to develop robust vulnerability assessments and resilience plans, incorporating the risks from a standardized set of climate scenarios.[3]
Local governments can partner with utilities in these areas, to provide energy security, reduce energy demand, and improve system reliability.

California Natural Resources Agency. 2018

Extreme stormsFloodingSea level rise

Project or Example

California state agencies collaborated to compile each of these examples, associated with Safeguarding California's 2018 update, to show how California is preparing for and adjusting to various extreme events brought on by climate change. … Each of these examples highlights unique strategies, funded by the state, to combat and adapt to the effects of climate change. The examples are tagged with icons from the Safeguarding California Report, classifying stories by sector. The California Energy Commission worked with San Diego Gas & Electric to analyze climate change impacts on San Diego's natural gas system, and to identify adaptation measures to improve climate change preparedness.

California Natural Resources Agency. 2018

California state agencies collaborated to compile each of these examples, associated with Safeguarding California's 2018 update, to show how California is preparing for and adjusting to various extreme events brought on by climate change. … Each of these examples highlights unique strategies, funded by the state, to combat and adapt to the effects of climate change. The examples are tagged with icons from the Safeguarding California Report, classifying stories by sector. This example focuses on the Cal-Adapt's useful to the energy sector.

California Energy Commission. 2017

FloodingSea level rise

AssessmentData, tools, and research

The California Energy Commission’s Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) Program supports public interest research, development, and demonstration projects to benefit California. This report is one of many products from this program. Specifically, … in this case researchers as Berkeley develop a hydrodynamic model of unprecedented temporal and spatial resolution to investigate impacts of sea level rise plus storm dynamics on natural gas pipelines and facilities in the State of California. They integrated a high-resolution earth surface model with dynamic three-dimensional water modeling. This method included dynamic influences of tides and storm surges as well as surface objects that impede water flows, such as buildings. By coupling projected water levels with pipeline data the researchers were able to characterize the system’s vulnerability, and risks of damage. This information will provide valuable input for gas operation programs, investments and the development of adaptation strategies.

Sierra Business Council. 2018

DroughtExtreme stormsFloodingSnowpackWildfire

Case Study

This project supported both Sierra Business Council’s Climate Planning program and the Sierra Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Partnership (Sierra CAMP). The Climate Planning team worked to implement the Energy Action Plans of Alpine County … and Sierra County, and Sierra CAMP focused on network education and expansion. The goal for both programs was to assist Sierra stakeholders in understanding adaptation and the tools needed to plan for climate change, and to promote community climate action and education.

California Natural Resources Agency. 2018

Extreme heatExtreme stormsFloodingWildfire

Project or Example

California state agencies collaborated to compile each of these examples, associated with Safeguarding California's 2018 update, to show how California is preparing for and adjusting to various extreme events brought on by climate change. … Each of these examples highlights unique strategies, funded by the state, to combat and adapt to the effects of climate change. The examples are tagged with icons from the Safeguarding California Report, classifying stories by sector. This example highlights a research effort through California's Fourth Climate Assessment to assess energy and transportation vulnerabilities to extreme weather-related events.

U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit. 2017

Extreme heatExtreme stormsFloodingWildfire

Plan or strategy

This case study showcases how the Bluelake Rancheria Tribe focuses on energy efficiency and clean renewables to improve reseliency of the electrical grid against heavy rains, wildfires and flooding. The article also provides a list of … climate actions that the Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe has taken.

Elissa Lynn. 2018

DroughtExtreme stormsFloodingTemperature

Climate Story

This climate story is one of a series that aims to share authentic experiences of Californians as they deal with a changing climate. In this story, Elissa Lynn shares how she is creating a model for other state agencies to prepare for the changing hydrologic conditions.

San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC). 2017

FloodingSea level rise

Assessment

Adapting to Rising Tides (ART) is a program of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), which brings together local, regional, state and federal agencies and organizations, as well as non-profit and private … associations for a collaborative planning project on sea level rise and climate change. This report is one of several products from these planning efforts. Specifically it is an assessment for a portion of Contra Costa County of the vulnerability to future sea level rise and associated impacts, which include inundation, erosion and flooding. It also looks at seismic vulnerability for the area. The report explores these impacts as they relate local assets and circumstances, such as the energy sector, public services, contaminated lands, and vulnerable communities. Adaptation responses were developed for the project’s thirty asset categories and six key planning issues. The response cover four key themes: 1) a resilient transportation system; 2) integrated shoreline management; 3) targeted education and outreach; and 4) improved emergency and hazard mitigation plans.

City of Eureka. 2016

FloodingSea level rise

Assessment

The City of Eureka developed a sea level rise adaptation planning report based on its sea level rise asset vulnerability and risk assessment. This report develops adaptation goals, strategies and measures for high priority assets, planning … horizons or targeted water elevations, and specific geographic areas. The recommendations in this adaptation planning report may be used to guide the update of the City’s Coastal Land Use Policy to incorporate sea level rise goals, policies, and regulations. The report uses a protection, accommodation, and managed retreat framework to consider different climate adaptation strategies.

City of Eureka. 2016

FloodingSea level rise

Assessment

This report was prepared to look at sea level rise and associated impacts, which including inundation, erosion, flooding, backwater flooding and groundwater change. It explores these impacts as they relate local assets, such as land uses, … coastal resources, utilities, transportation, and contaminated sites. The analysis specifically looks at exposure, susceptibility, consequence and priority for each asset category.